This reflection or self-image…who we are and how we look…forms in early childhood and is influenced in large part by how our parents act and react with us.

I’ve been taking part in a creative writing exercise for the past eight weeks. Children’s author Susanna Leonard Hill organized “Summer Short & Sweets” and each week she provided writing prompts. Last week she posted this beautiful illustration by gifted artist and picture book illustrator, Heather Newman, and asked us to think about a children’s story based on that picture.

Illustration copyright Heather Newman 2012 – Used by Permission

AND NOW THERE IS A CONTEST!

THE INSTRUCTIONS: WRITE A STORY OF 250 WORDS OR LESS BASED ON THIS PICTURE. SOMEWHERE IN THE STORY, SOMEONE HAS TO SAY, “DID YOU SEE THAT?” AND SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE STORY, SOMEONE HAS TO SAY, “GOODBYE OR FAREWELL”.

I’m going to share the story I wrote for the contest…and it ties in with the Sunday Post theme of Reflections…how we see ourselves and what happens when a person doesn’t have a positive self-image.

I hope you all enjoy it…I’d love to have your feedback and comments.

Working Title: Boot Camp at Old Dragons-Lair

Genre: Picture Book

Word Count: 240

BOOT CAMP AT OLD DRAGONS-LAIR by Vivian Kirkfield

The first day of boot camp at Old Dragons-Lair

The white witch decided to darken her hair.

So tired was she of her colorless locks

She lifted the red from the tail of the fox.

“Did you see that?” all the campers cried out.

“I’ll do as I please!” the witch said with a shout.

“I don’t like how I look…I’ll take what I wish

The tail of the dragon…the eyes of a fish.

“You can’t take from others”, the raven explained.

Your magical powers should be more restrained.

You’re leader of boot camp at Old Dragons-lair

You can’t create havoc and cause such a scare.

The black bird continued, “It’s what people do

That shows their real beauty…believe me, it’s true!”

And nodding her head, the witch waved her thin wand

Her hair began changing from red back to blonde.

The campers all gathered around the white witch

And loudly applauded the spell-binding switch.

She’d learned to treat others with love and with care

You don’t bully people at Old Dragons-lair!

The last day of boot camp at Old Dragons-lair

The campers took part in a Renaissance Fair

The white witch placed first in the costume parade

And raven won gold in the gaming arcade.

The campers were packed and excited to go

The sky was alight with a fiery glow

Each clambered to mount his own flying gazelle,

And said to the raven and witch,”Fond farewell!”

That’s it…what do you think?

We have one more month to get nominations to give 12 free copies of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cookingto schools or other childcare facilities. Nominate your child’s school in the Show Me How School Initiative by leaving a comment and telling us why you’d like them to have this book. If you don’t have young children, but know people who do, please tell them about the free book their child’s school can receive! Please tweet this or spread the word across any of your social media networks. At the beginning of October we will use Random.org to choose 12 lucky schools.

Thank you so much…I appreciate your stopping by and commenting…later today I will hop over to Jake’s Sunday Post and visit everyone else’s entry…as well as over to Susanna Leonard Hill to read the other children’s stories for the contest.

You are very kind, Susanna! I’m so happy you were pleased with it…I am ultra-pleased with the Summer Short and Sweets and how your creative writing prompts (and more importantly, your careful explanations of the what and why of each exercise) have encouraged and inspired me to work on my “craft” of picture book writing. I’ve always “just written” stuff…with no rhyme or reason…well, perhaps with rhyme…but not knowing the reason…never having taken any creative writing or picture book workshops…just whatever English or writing courses I had in college (back in the Stone Age).

So thank you for your positive comments, Susanna…and for all YOU have inspired me to accomplish since last January. :)

What do I think, you ask. Brilliant! I love rhythm and rhyme.
After reading your first line, I knew exactly where I was.
I burst out laughing when I read this line, “She lifted the red from the tail of the fox.” Okay, I laughed at just about every line.
“I’ll do as I please!” the witch said with a shout. This line captured the essence of what I think a witch would act like.
And again, you pulled one out of the hat, tying in Jake’s challenge, Susanna’s mandatory words, and not only that, you continued your bullying theme.
Ah, one day, I hope to write like Vivian. :)
Happy Labor Day!

Tracy…what beautiful feedback! Thank you so much…I hope you know how much I appreciate your comments. :) I had lots of other verses…but they started getting a little wierd…pretty hilarious…but I didn’t like the images that formed in my mind…although seeing some of the off-beat stuff that is being published these days by traditional publishing houses, perhaps it was spot-on…for example…On day number two at Old Dragons-Lair, The campers woke up to a pretty bad scare, The headmistress traded her hairy hooked nose, For two of the princess’ delicate toes. :) Yuck! But, maybe fracturedly funny. :)

Anyway, can’t wait to go over and check out the other entries.
Tracy…you made my day…have a glorious Labor Day weekend!

I appreciate your positive comments, Laura! I can’t wait to go and read the other entries…I wanted to post mine before I read the others…they will be great, I know…and I might not have wanted to post mine if I had read the others first. :):)

It’s one of my favorite photos. :) So glad you liked the post…it’s an important message…hopefully the fun rhyme (especially if I had some illustrations to go with it) would help kids love who they are…which would help them love others as they are…which would decrease the acts of bullying.

Hi Penny,
So happy you loved it!!!! And THANK YOU so much for the wonderful compliments. :) I was thrilled I was able to pull it all together with the Sunday Post theme…sometimes things just mesh together. :)

Double-wow for the awesome comment! Thank you so much, Sue…I’d love someone to come up with illustrations…maybe it could be posted to a site like UTales. :) I visited your blog just now…and I’m following it!

Thanks, Stacy! I guess Susanna’s Summer Short and Sweets, as well as the SCBWI critique sessions and Corey’s suggestions on Dylan McGee, all worked together to help me do a better job of rhyme and meter. :) I appreciate your kind words!

Thanks, Milka. Susanna’s creative writing prompts were lots of fun these past 8 weeks! I’m so happy you liked “Boot Camp at Old Dragons-Lair”…you can read it to your sons…let me know what they think of it. :)

This is lovely, Vivian. A sweet story and characters, and some fun language play, too. I really liked how you used “spellbinding” – just stuck in there, a perfect word choice. And it’s got great meter too – I read it out loud and really got into the beat. There are only two spots that stopped me:

“Did you see that?” all of the campers cried out. [ I’d remove the extra syllable “of” to keep the rhythm consistent…]

“I don’t like how I look…I’ll take what I wish […and put that extra syllable here, maybe “AND I’ll take what I wish”]

Yes! Yes! Yes! Your suggestions are SPOT-ON, Renee! I really appreciate the feedback…always looking to make it better. :) Thank you so much for the praise…it was such fun writing it! You know, for years I never thought of writing funny, wacky stuff…just simple “old-fashioned” rhyme…with Julie’s 12×12 and Susanna’s contests, I’ve definitely stretched myself creatively…as another blogger I know says…aaahhhh, that’s better!

So happy you loved it…it’s funny, because even when I was struggling with some of the verses…the lifting the red from the tail of the fox just came so easily and I loved it and no matter what other changes I made as I wrote the story, that line was NOT going to change.:) Thanks for stopping by, Kim, and leaving such a lovely comment. :)

That was delightful — great message and super way to get it across. (By the way, I showed a friend “Show Me How.” She’s a retired preschool teacher, and I could see that she was wishing she’d had such a book when she was teaching.)

Thanks for the kind words…You know me, Beth…always trying to find the messages in picture books…although I love them just for the enjoyment and entertainment they provide as well. :)
Thanks for showing “Show Me How” around…glad she liked it. I wish I could encourage nursery/pre-K/kindergarten teachers to get copies for their classroom resource shelves.:)

Thank you so much, Lauri! I love writing in rhyme…sometimes I can’t stop. : Glad you liked the witch in the “starring role”…I guess you could say the Raven was the co-star. :) I enjoyed your story very much…and love your blog!

Aw shucks, Nancy! Thank you so much…I value your opinion. :) And it’s so much FUN! Now all I have to do is get serious and decide how I will get these “gems” in print (after they are revised a million times)…traditional route, self-publish, ebook…lots of choices.

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